CURRICULUM VITAE LUCA COMAI EDUCATION Ph.D., Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, 1980
M.S., Plant Pathology, Washington State University, 1978
B.S. (equivalent), Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, 1976
EMPLOYMENT 2006
Professor, UC Davis Genome Center and Section of Plant Biology, UC
Professor, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle
Visiting Scientist, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle
Associate Professor, Department of Botany, University of Washington,
Associate Professor wot, Department of Botany, University of
Principal Scientist, Calgene, Inc., Davis
Postdoctoral Research Associate. Dept. of Plant Pathology, University of
Research Assistant, Dept. of Plant Pathology, University of California,
Research Assistant, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Washington State
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS 2004
USDA-NRICGP, Functional Genomics of Crop Plants Panel Manager
USDA-NRICGP, Genetics Mechanisms Panel Manager
Plant Molecular Biology, Associate Editor
USDA-NRICGP, Genetics Mechanisms and Genome Panel Manager
Member of “Comitato Indirizzo e Valutazione Ricerca”, Province of
Member of “Comitato Tecnico-scientifico per la ricerca”, Province of
PUBLICATIONS ( * peer reviewed reviews, chapters and commentaries) 2006 Ditt RF, Kerr KF, de Figueiredo P, Delrow J, Comai L, and Nester EW. 2006 The Arabidopsis thaliana transcriptome in response to Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Mol Plant Micr Inter (in
Wang J, Tian L, Lee H-S, Wei N-E, Chen M, Lee JJ, Wang JJ, Rao S, Jiang H, Watson B,
Madlung A, Osborn TC, Doerge RW, Comai L, and Chen ZJ. 2006. Genome-wide Non-
additive Gene Regulation in Arabidopsis Allotetraploids. Genetics 172:507-17
*Comai L and S Henikoff. 2006. TILLING: practical single nucleotide mutation discovery. Plant
2005 Li B, Conway N, Navarro S, Comai Luca, and Comai Lucio. 2005. A conserved and species-
specific functional interaction between the Werner syndrome-like exonuclease atWEX and the
Ku heterodimer in Arabidopsis. Nucleic Acid Research 33:6861-6867
*Comai L and R Cartwright. 2005. The toxic mutator hypothesis for hothead reversion. Plant Cell
*Comai L. 2005. Advantages and disadvantages of polyploidy. 2005 Nature Reviews Genetics
*Wang J, Lee JJ, Tian L, Wang JJ, Lee H-S, Chen M, Rao S,, Wei N-E, Doerge RW, Comai L, and
Chen ZJ. 2005 Methods for genome-wide analysis of gene expression changes in polyploids.
Ditt R, Nester E, and Comai L. 2005 The plant defense response and Agrobacterium tumefaciens .
Henry IM, Dilkes B, Young K, Watson B, Wu H, Comai L. 2005 Aneuploidy and genetic variation
in the Arabidopsis thaliana triploid response. Genetics: 170:1979-88
Enns LC, Kanaoka MM, Torii K, Comai L, Okada K, Cleland RE. 2005 Two callose synthases,
GSL1 and GSL5, play an essential and redundant role in plant and pollen development and in
A Madlung, AP Tyagi, B Watson, H Jiang, T Kagochi, RW Doerge, R Martienssen and L Comai.
2005 Genomic changes in synthetic Arabidopsis polyploids. Plant Journal 41: 221-230
2004 Lee H-S, Wang J, Tian L, Jiang H, Black MA, Madlung A, Watson B, Lukens L, Pires EJC, Wang
JJ, Comai L, Osborn TC, Doerge RW, Chen ZJ. 2004 Sensitivity of 70-mer oligonucleotides
and cDNAs for microarray analysis of gene expression in Arabidopsis and its related species.
L Comai, Till BJ, SH Reynolds, EA Greene, C Codomo, L Enns, J Johnson, C Burtner, A Odden, K
Young, and S Henikoff. 2004 Large-scale discovery of natural polymorphisms by Ecotilling.
Till BJ, Burtner C, Comai L, Henikoff S. 2004 Mismatch cleavage by single-strand specific
nucleases. Nucleic Acids Res. 32:2632-41
Wang J, Tian L, Madlung A, Lee H-S, Chen M, Lee JJ, Watson B, Kagochi T, Comai L, and Chen
ZJ. 2004 Stochastic and epigenetic changes of gene expression in Arabidopsis polyploids.
Till BJ, Reynolds SH, Weil C, Springer N, Burtner C, Young K, Bowers E, Codomo CA, Enns LC,
Odden AR, Greene EA, Comai L, Henikoff S. 2004 Discovery of induced point mutations in
maize genes by TILLING. BMC Plant Biol. 4:12
*Henikoff S, Till BJ, Comai L. 2004. TILLING. Traditional mutagenesis meets functional
*Madlung A, Comai L. 2004 The effect of stress on genome regulation and structure. Ann Bot
*Dilkes PB, Comai L. 2004 A Differential dosage hypothesis for parental effects in seed
Pontes O, Neves N, Silva M, Lewis MS, Madlung A, Comai L, Lawrence RJ, Pikaard CS and
Viegas W. 2004 Chromosomal locus rearrangements are a rapid response to formation of the
allotetraploid Arabidopsis suecica genome. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101:18240-5
2003 Till BJ, SH Reynolds, EA Greene, C Codomo, L Enns, J Johnson, C Burtner, A Odden, K Young,
N Taylor, JG Henikoff, L Comai and S Henikoff. 2003 Large-scale discovery of induced point
mutations with high-throughput TILLING. Genome Research 3:524-30
Comai L, AP Tyagi, and MA Lysak. 2003 FISH analysis of meiosis in Arabidopsis allopolyploids.
EA Greene C Codomo, N Taylor, Till BJ, SH Reynolds, L Enns, C Burtner, J Johnson, A Odden, K
Young, JG Henikoff, L Comai and S Henikoff. 2003 Spectrum of chemically induced
mutations from a large-scale reverse-genetic screen in Arabidopsis. Genetics 164:731-40
*Osborn TC, Pires JC, Birchler JA, Auger DL, Chen ZJ, Lee HS, Comai L, Madlung A, Doerge
RW, Colot V, Martienssen RA. 2003 Understanding mechanisms of novel gene expression
*Henikoff S and Comai L. 2003 Single nucleotide mutations for functional genomics Ann
*L Comai, A Madlung, C Josefsson and A Tyagi. 2003 Do the different parental ‘heteromes’
cause genomic shock in newly formed allopolyploids? Philos Trans Royal Soc 358:1149-55
2002 Holmes-Davis, R and Comai, L 2002 The matrix attachment regions (MARs) associated with the
Heat Shock Cognate 80 gene (HSC80) of tomato represent specific regulatory elements. Mol
Talbert PB, Masuelli R, Tyagi AP, Comai L, Henikoff S. 2002 Centromeric localization and
adaptive evolution of an Arabidopsis histone h3 variant. Plant Cell. 14:1053-66
Madlung A, Masuelli RW, Watson B, Reynolds SH, Davison J, and Comai L. 2002 Remodeling of
DNA Methylation and phenotypic and transcriptional changes in synthetic Arabidopsis
allotetraploids. Plant Physiology 129: 733–746
*Till BJ, Colbert T, Tompa R, Enns L, Codomo C .et al…. Comai L and Henikoff S. et al., 2002
High-throughput TILLING for functional genomics, pp. in Plant Functional Genomics:
Methods and Protocols, edited by E. Grotewald. Humana Press.
2001 Colbert TG, Till BJ, Tompa R, Reynolds SH, Steine MN, Yeung AT, McCallum CM, Comai L, and
Henikoff S 2001 High-Throughput Screening for Induced Point Mutations. Plant Physiology
Ditt R, Nester EW, Comai L. 2001 Plant gene expression responses to Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 98:10954-10959
Holmes-Davis R, Payne SR, Comai L. 2001 The effects of kinetin and hydroxyurea on the
expression of the endogenous and transgenic Heat Shock Cognate 80 ( HSC80). Plant Cell Rep
2000 McCallum C.M., Comai L., Greene E.A., Henikoff S. 2000 Targeted screening for induced
Comai L., Tyagi A.P., Winter K., Holmes-Davis R., Reynolds S., Stevens Y. and Byers B. 2000
Phenotypic Instability and Rapid Gene Silencing in Newly Formed Arabidopsis
*McCallum C.M., Comai L., Greene E.A., Henikoff S. 2000 Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN
Genomes (TILLING) for plant functional genomics. Plant Physiology 123(2):439-42
*Comai, L. Genetic and epigenetic interactions in allopolyploid plants. 2000 Plant Mol. Biol. 43:
1999 Deng W, Chen L, Peng WT, Liang X, Sekiguchi S, Gordon MP, Comai L, Nester EW. 1999. VirE1
is a specific molecular chaperone for the exported single-stranded-DNA-binding protein VirE2
in Agrobacterium. Mol Microbiol 31:1795-807
1998 Deng WY, Chen LS, Wood DW, Metcalfe T, Liang XY; Gordon MP, Comai L and Nester EW.
1998 Agrobacterium VirD1 protein interacts with plant host cyclophilins. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.
Henikoff S and Comai L.1998. A DNA methyltransferase homolog with a chromodomain exists in
multiple polymorphic forms in Arabidopsis. Genetics 149: 307-318.
Chen J, Comai L, Pikaard C. 1998 Gene dosage and stochastic effects determine the severity and
direction of uniparental rRNA gene silencing (nucleolar dominance) in Arabidopsis
allopolyploids. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA.95 :14891-14896.
*Comai, L. 1998 Botanica (a review of recent advances in plant molecular biology). Enciclopedia
*Holmes-Davis R; Comai L. 1998 Nuclear matrix attachment regions and plant gene expression
*Henikoff S; Comai L. 1998 Trans-sensing effects: The ups and downs of being together. Cell 93:
1996 Chinn, A., Payne, S.R., and Comai, L. 1996 Variegation and silencing of the Heat Shock Cognate 80 gene are relieved by a bipartite downstream regulatory element. Plant Journal 9: 325-339
Chinn, A. and Comai, L. 1996 The Heat Shock Cognate 80 gene is flanked by nuclear matrix
attachment regions. Plant Molecular Biology 12: 959-968
*Chinn, A. and Comai, L. 1996 Transcription. In: Transgenic Plants: a production system for
industrial and pharmaceutical proteins. M.R.L. Owen and J. Pen eds. Wiley and Sons.
1995 Masuelli R, Tanimoto E, Brown C and Comai, L. 1995 Irregular meiosis in a somatic hybrid
between S.bulbocastanum and S.tuberosum detected by species-specific PCR markers and
cytological analysis. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 91: 401-408
Talbert, P, Adler HT, Parks, D and Comai, L. 1995 The REVOLUTA gene is necessary for apical
meristem development and for limiting cell divisions in the stems and leaves of Arabidopsis.
Kovacic, R.T., Comai, L. and Bendich, A.J. 1995 Protection of megabase DNA from shearing.
1993 Tanimoto EY, Rost, LR and Comai, L 1993 Replication-dependent histone H2A mRNA expression
in pea root tips. Plant Physiology 103: 1291-129
*Tanimoto E. Y., Rost L.R., and Comai L. 1993 Histone H2A expression during S-phase:
histological co-localization of H2A mRNA and DNA synthesis in pea root tips. In:
Molecular and cell Biology of the Plant Cell Cycle. J.C. Ormrod and D. Francis eds.
*Comai L. 1993 Impact of plant genetic engineering on food and nutrition. Ann. Rev. Nutr.
1992 Koning, A, Jones A., Fillatti, J, Comai, L and Lassner, MW. 1992 Arrest of embryo development
in Brassica napus mediated by modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. Plant
Koning A, Rose, R and Comai L. 1992 Developmental regulation of tomato Heat Shock Cognate
protein 80 gene. Plant Physiology 100: 801-811
1991 Lassner MW, Jones A, Daubert S and Comai, L. 1991 Targeting of T7 RNA polymerase in
tobacco nuclei mediated by an SV40 nuclear location signal. Plant Molecular Biology 17:
Koning A, Tanimoto EY, Kiehne K, Rost T. and Comai L. 1991 Cell specific expression of plant
histone H2A genes. The Plant Cell 3: 657-665
1990 Comai, L, Maslyar D and Moran P. 1990 Novel and useful properties of a chimeric plant
promoter combining CaMV 35S and MAS elements. Plant Molecular Biology. 15: 373-381
*Comai, L. 1990 Ti plasmid vectors for transformation of plants. pp 520-525. In: Methods in
Phytobacteriology. Z. Klement, K. Rudolph, and D.C. Sands eds. Akademiai Kiado,
1989 *Comai, L., Larson-Kelly, N., Kiser, Jones, A., C., Stalker, D.M., Moran, P., Kiehne, K.,
Koning, A. 1989 Genetic engineering of plants for herbicide resistance. Expression of a
RuBP carboxylase small subunit-EPSP synthase chimeric gene, chloroplast transport of the
hybrid protein, and tolerance phenotype of transgenic plants. Vortr. Pflaenzenzuechtg.
1988 Comai, L., Larson-Kelly N., Kiser J, Mau, C., Pokalsky AR, McBride KE, Shewmaker CK and
Stalker DM 1988 Chloroplast delivery of a RuBP carboxylase small subunit-EPSP synthase
chimeric protein requires a portion of the mature small subunit protein in addition to the
transit peptide. J. Biological Chemistry 263: 15104-15109
1987 Fillatti JJ, Kiser J, Rose R and Comai L. 1987 Efficient transfer of a glyphosate tolerance gene
into tomato using a binary Agrobacterium tumefaciens vector. Bio/Technology 5: 725-730.
Fillatti, J.J., Sellmer, J., McCown, B., Haissig, B. and Comai. L. 1987 Agrobacterium mediated
transformation and regeneration of Populus. Mol. Gen. Genet. 206: 192-199.
*Hiatt, W.R., Sheehy, R.E. and Comai, L. 1987 The application of genetic engineering to crop
improvements. Proceedings of the Oregon Horticultural Society, Jan. 27-29, 1987, Portland,
*Thompson, G.A., Hiatt, W.R., Facciotti, D., Stalker, D.M. and Comai, L. 1987 Expression in
plants of a bacterial gene coding for glyphosate resistance. Weed Sci. 35:19-23.
1986 *Comai, L. and Stalker, D. 1986 Mechanisms of herbicide resistance and their manipulations. In:
Oxford Surveys of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology. Vol. 3. B.J. Miflin ed. Oxford
1985 Comai L, Facciotti D, Hiatt W, Thompson G, Rose R and Stalker D. 1985 Expression in plants
of a mutant aroA gene from Salmonella typhimurium confers tolerance to glyphosate.
*Hiatt, W., Comai, L., Huang, L-J., Rose, R., Thompson, G. and Stalker, D. 1985 Introduction
and expression in plants of a glyphosate resistant aroA gene isolated from S. typhimurium.
In: Molecular Form and Function of the Plant Genome. L. VanVioten- Doting, G.S.P. Groot
and T. Hall eds. Plenum Press, pp. 479-488.
*Comai, L., Hiatt, W., Facciotti, D., Rose, R., Thompson, G. and Stalker. D. 1985 Introduction
and expression in plants of a glyphosate resistant aroA gene isolated from S. typhimurium.
In: Biotechnology in Plant Science: Relevance to Agriculture in the Nineteen Eighties. M.
Zaitlin, P. Day, A. Hollaender eds. Academic Press, Orlando, FL, pp. 329-338.
1984 Stalker, D., Hiatt, W. and Comai, L. 1984 A single amino acid substitution in the enzyme 5-
enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase confers resistance to the herbicide glyphosate.
Surico G, Comai L and Kosuge T. 1984 Pathogenicity of strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv.
savastanoi and their indoleacetic acid-deficient mutants on olive and oleander.
1983 Comai, L. and Kosuge, T. 1983 Transposable element that causes mutations in a plant
pathogenic Pseudomonas sp. J. Bacteriol. 143:950-957.
Comai, L., Schilling-Cordaro, C., Mergia, A., and Houck, C.H. 1983 A new technique for
genetic engineering of Agrobacterium Ti plasmid. Plasmid 10: 21-30.
Comai, L., Sen, L. and Stalker, D. 1983 An altered aroA gene product confers resistance to the
herbicide glyphosate. Science 221: 370-371.
*Comai, L. and T. Kosuge. 1983 The genetics of indoleacetic acid production and virulence in
Pseudomonas savastanoi. In: Molecular Genetics of the Bacteria-Plant Interaction. A.
*Kosuge, T., Comai, L. and Glass, L. 1983 Virulence determinants in plant pathogen
interactions. In: Plant Molecular Biology. R.B. Goldberg ed.
1982 Comai, L. and Kosuge, T. 1982 Cloning and characterization of iaaM, a virulence determinant of Pseudomonas savastanoi. J. Bacteriol. 149:40-46.
Comai, L., Surico, G., and Kosuge, T. 1982 Relation of plasmid DNA to indoleacetic acid
production in different strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. savastanoi. J. Gen. Microbiol.
1980 Comai, L. and Kosuge, T. 1980 Involvement of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid in indoleacetic
acid synthesis in Pseudomonas savastanoi. J. Bacteriol. 143:950-957.
ISSUED PATENTS. Slade AJ, Madisen L, Comai L. 2006. Compositions and methods for modulation of plant cell
division. [New Zealand patent (2005) 518,530]. US patent # 20,060,031,967.
Goodman RM, Knauf CV. Houck CM, and Comai L. 2001 Molecular farming. [1990
Comai, L. and Koning, A.J. 1993 Plant proteins, promoters, coding sequences and use. #
Comai, L. and Moran, P. 1992. CAMV35S-enhanced mannopine synthase promoter and method
Fillatti, J. and Comai, L. 1989 Transformation and foreign gene expression with woody species.
Comai, L. 1988 Novel method and compositions for introducing alien DNA in vivo. #4,762,785.
Comai, L. 1985 Inhibition resistant 5-enolpyruvyl-3-phosphoshikimate synthase, production and
Bacteremia associated with naturally occurring acute coliform mastitis in dairy cows John R. Wenz, DVM, MS; George M. Barrington, DVM, PhD, DACVIM; Franklyn B. Garry, DVM, MS, DACVIM;Kevin D. McSweeney, BS; R. Page Dinsmore, DVM, DABVP; Gregory Goodell, DVM; become the predominant form of mastitis in herds inwhich contagious mastitis has been effectively con- Objective —To determine the